2014 Camp Thread - Part II | Hockey is back! | 9/30: Samuelsson clears waivers

[UnrealMachine]

I think we're on the same page here.

Personally, I think the time to have fired Bylsma was after the Philly debacle. Trading Staal broke the three center model, and it would have been a good time to have moved in a new direction in general.

Since he didn't fire him then, I don't think Shero could have fired Bylsma after the Boston series even if he wanted to. It was pretty much a given that he'd be coaching team USA, and he was still the media and fan darling at that point. I think that's kind of where Shero fell off the rails. He was stuck with Disco, so he signed the guys Disco wanted ... why bring in guys that will be misused or not fit in the system?

I was OK with the Kunitz deal. I also figured they would let Cookie walk, and I was really hoping that Shero was going to let Duper and Adams go, too. And it looked like he was going to ... right up until he re-signed them

Hopefully his non-disclosure clause has an expiration date ... I'd love to know what really happened that last season.

Shero did a lot more than just 'not firing' Bylsma after the Boston series; he gave him a massive, multi-year contract extension.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

as soon as those rumors came up I said he'd be coming here as a 3C and not as Sid's wing. It was pretty obvious that's what he wanted imo.

Looks like that was his intention...however if we were desperate enough to try Malkin on the wing, I'm sure Kesler would've been used there as well; at the very least given a shot.

Not that that makes it any less infuriating that we'd be parting with significant assets for ANOTHER center when the blatant issue lies on the wing. I mean, that's just absurd how little they value getting Malkin and Crosby help. "Oh, but they went after Hemsky!" And then decided that those critical 3rd and 5th round picks weren't worth getting Sid/Geno some relevant help.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Lines at practice today:

Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie
Spaling-Goc-Comeau
Carcillo-Sundqvist-Adams

NO KCD!

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Someone alluded to it earlier, Brian Burke will ALWAYS buy salary.

Now, maybe the Flames are on Scuderi's LNTC, but I'd at least try to strong arm him there. Tell him he's going to be in the press box in Pittsburgh. Players wanna play, even if it's in Calgary. Trade a 3rd round pick and Scuderi to Calgary for a 7th. Whatever, I don't care anymore.

Or do what Tampa did with Boyle and let him know they'll just waive him so anyone can pick him up. IRRC, it's a NTC not a NMC so he can still be waived??

 

[Will Hunting]

Shero's first comments since being fired. Where he thinks it all went wrong surprises me. Not sure he's failing to correctly-identify the problem, or is just being respectful of the situation:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-shero-refreshed-and-ready-to-be-back-in-game

Staal´s trade was a biggest problem? Shero doesn´t even know what went wrong.. That last summer was a massacre & he´s apparently OK with that. Thank god he was fired, it´s clear that he wasn´t ready for a change of culture and that he would be continuing with his stupidity like forever. Getting rid of him was the only way.

 

[Til the End of Time]

shero doesnt explicitly say that losing staal was his biggest mistake/regret, so i dont want to jump all over him too much for that quote.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

shero doesnt explicitly say that losing staal was his biggest mistake/regret, so i dont want to jump all over him too much for that quote.

The fact that he brings it up at all is telling.

It should be one of the last things on his mind when it comes to looking back at what went wrong. If anything, it was a blessing in disguise. Or should have been.

 

[cassius]

The fact that he brings it up at all is telling.

It should be one of the last things on his mind when it comes to looking back at what went wrong. If anything, it was a blessing in disguise. Or should have been.

Gotta love Shero regretting signing Staal (a good 3rd line center) to a $6M / 10 year contract.

That could have went down as possibly one of the worst contracts in Penguins history. We truly dodged a bullet on that one..

We are so lucky that Carolina got saddled with that fat contract. Staal is an elite 3rd line center and nothing more. Just imagine if Shero had taken Toews over Staal.. or Kessel. Theres a good chance we would have a few more cups.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

He's a second line center.

Just not really one that is going to help Carolina with their problems. He certainly wouldn't have been a help to the Penguins problems. Or, at least, not enough to warrant him being around at anything less than a bargain deal. Which... that isn't.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Gotta love Shero regretting signing Staal (a good 3rd line center) to a $6M / 10 year contract.

That could have went down as possibly one of the worst contracts in Penguins history. We truly dodged a bullet on that one..

We are so lucky that Carolina got saddled with that fat contract. Staal is an elite 3rd line center and nothing more. Just imagine if Shero had taken Toews over Staal.. or Kessel. Theres a good chance we would have a few more cups.

I wanted Toews.

 

[WayneSid9987]

With Staal moving on and paying Sutter significantly less, Shero had the cash to spend more up front. What did he do? Signed Scuderi to 4 years. And people wondered why the bottom 6 was so terrible last year. Not to mention paying Glass and Adams to be regulars cuz DB probably wanted 'em.

 

[cassius]

With Staal moving on and paying Sutter significantly less, Shero had the cash to spend more up front. What did he do? Signed Scuderi to 4 years. And people wondered why the bottom 6 was so terrible last year. Not to mention paying Glass and Adams to be regulars cuz DB probably wanted 'em.

Shero had the biggest mancrush on grinders (specifically undersized ones) and role players.

 

[MtlPenFan]

With Staal moving on and paying Sutter significantly less, Shero had the cash to spend more up front. What did he do? Signed Scuderi to 4 years. And people wondered why the bottom 6 was so terrible last year. Not to mention paying Glass and Adams to be regulars cuz DB probably wanted 'em.

Yup.

Honestly I don't want to hear anything from either of them again.

Going for Kesler at the deadline did nothing but confirm our suspicions that both he and Bylsma felt that Kunitz/Dupuis/Jussi were perfect compliments for Sid and Geno, and the only thing missing was a big budget Center playing on the third line.

Seriously, the **** with both of them. They cheated us out of a good 3 or 4 seasons of Championship potential with their bungling and favoritism.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Shero had the biggest mancrush on grinders (specifically undersized ones) and role players.

The game evolved and Mario/Shero didn't change with it. Keep the family together, we'll be fine. Mario's over that now obviously.

They also thought they could change in thier own way. Becoming less tougher, less grittier with a coach who wanted to grind and not use the skill. Exact wrong way to go.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I wanted Toews.

Same. He or Backstrom (glad I'm not the GM, in the case of the latter -- thought he would transition well to wing). The Phil was my other choice. Staal didn't interest me at all at #2 overall.

 

[deakka]

Looks like we get Another chance to get a ticket for the Mueller train!

Please put a claim on him. I know he can be soft etc etc. But we sure could use someone with at least some skill. Especially after the injury to Bennett and Malkins mystery injury.

If he goes unclaimed or if a team after us in the order claims him im gonna be a bit mad. If he doesnt work out, just waive him again.

If there ever was a good time to make a gamble i would say now is the time.

He can both play W and C so if Malkin isnt ready just move Sutter to 2nd centre and put Mueller as the 3c.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

He can both play W and C so if Malkin isnt ready just move Sutter to 2nd centre and put Mueller as the 3c.

We already have a #3C.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Lines at practice today:

Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Downie
Spaling-Goc-Comeau
Carcillo-Sundqvist-Adams

NO KCD!

yes! yes! yes!

 

[Sutter16]

STL put Peter Mueller on waivers today. Wouldn't mind giving a former top 10 pick a shot. Maybe until BB is back. 12-15 games. See if he has anything left. I'd much rather have Carcillo or Mueller than Adams

 

[penguins2946*]

STL put Peter Mueller on waivers today. Wouldn't mind giving a former top 10 pick a shot. Maybe until BB is back. 12-15 games. See if he has anything left. I'd much rather have Carcillo or Mueller than Adams

I could see that, just claim him until BB is back, then either waive him once BB returns or just have another skill guy if he performs.

 

[DegenX]

Shero did a lot more than just 'not firing' Bylsma after the Boston series; he gave him a massive, multi-year contract extension.

Right, because he only had one year left on his previous contract. Something about a lame duck season or whatever ... that seems to be how they do things in the NHL. Babcock's the only one that seems to be able to pull off the one year deals.

 

[DegenX]

Shero's first comments since being fired. Where he thinks it all went wrong surprises me. Not sure he's failing to correctly-identify the problem, or is just being respectful of the situation:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...-shero-refreshed-and-ready-to-be-back-in-game

Thanks for posting the link. Interesting read, even if neither guy really said anything. The Staal trade was a turning point, I think. Like I said earlier, it would have been the time to move in another direction ... but it doesn't seem that Shero saw it that way.

It's also interesting that he mentions Nashville. I seem to recall someone in the Washington press shooting down the rumors that Shero would take the GM job there, that he would be going back to Nashville. I think it was rumored that after this season, Poile was going to focus solely on his Hockey Ops position and turn over the GM duties to someone else. And that now that Shero would be available, the job would be his. I could be remembering it wrong, though.

 

[mpp9]

The Staal trade is absolutely a big turning point. Instead of saying he wishes he could have kept Staal, he should be saying, he wishes he could have built around Crosby and Malkin better.

That trade should have been a bat signal for wingers.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The Staal trade is absolutely a big turning point. Instead of saying he wishes he could have kept Staal, he should be saying, he wishes he could have built around Crosby and Malkin better.

That trade should have been a bat signal for wingers.

Exactly. Thank you.

It isn't as if he couldn't have referenced the Staal trade as a turning point with validity. But when he said that he wished that he could have kept him, I cringed. Not because "Staal sucks." But because it should have been the perfect time to re-gear and build around the team's biggest advantage by far and away.

Shero and especially Bylsma got caught so many times admiring their own pass, so to speak. "Three center model." "Stretch pass." "Rob Scuderi." Their thinking was surprisingly rigid (not at all what I expected compared to when they first got their jobs, here) and yes... arrogant.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Keeping Jordan Staal would have made us a better team had he been able to accept a 3rd line role.

He gives us the sort of size, possession numbers, and bottom 6 scoring that we've sorely missed ever since he left, and with that contract on the books, it's unlikely we sign Dupuis or Scuderi.